Internet-audiotext electronic advertising system with anonymous bi-directional messaging

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to an electronic advertising system. More specifically, the present invention allows telephone users to create a “mailbox” at the point of responding to an ad, regardless of whether the ad originated on the telephone or on the Internet. Similarly, Internet users can create a “mailbox” at the point of responding to a personal ad on the Internet, regardless of whether the ad originated on the telephone or via the Internet. By giving both advertisers and respondents a “mailbox”, the present invention allows for anonymous communication until one or both are comfortable with giving out a means of contact. Moreover, the communication can occur regardless of whether a user is on a telephone or on the Internet. This provides additional safety for users of personal ad systems while preserving the ability for telephone users to communicate with Internet users.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/799,536,filed on Feb. 12, 1997, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,285,984, issued on Sep. 4,2001, which is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No.08/744,879, filed on Nov. 8, 1996, now abandoned.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to audiotext systems designed to providefull access to traditional databases and telecommunications systems,such as local area networks, the Internet, other external databases,telephones and fax machines, etc., and more specifically to audiotextpersonal ad services.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Audiotext personal ad services are a popular way for people to meet, andare available in most newspapers and on many cable television systems.In a typical service, an advertiser calls a live operator and places atext personal ad. An advertiser then calls an audiotext system andrecords an audio message, often referred to as a greeting, which expandsupon the advertiser's text ad by describing in more detail theadvertiser and the type of person he is seeking. Personal ads are thenpublished in a newspaper. A personal ad includes a 900 telephone numberand an ad mailbox number permitting a caller to listen to anadvertiser's voice greeting. A caller can respond to an ad by recordinga reply voice mail message for the advertiser. An advertiser retrieves amessage by calling the audiotext system and entering a password given atthe time of ad placement. In another format, live operators are notused. Instead, an advertiser first records an audio greeting via atelephone. An operator then listens to the audio greeting off-line andwrites a text summary of the audio greeting for publication in thenewspaper.

With the expansion of the Internet and other on-line services, personalad services have been created to take advantage of this new medium. Atypical service allows an advertiser to place a text personal ad that ispublished on the Internet on an HTML (HyperText Markup Language) page.An Internet user may respond to a personal ad by sending an advertiser amessage via electronic mail. The limitation of this approach is that anInternet user cannot listen to an audio recording of an advertiser, afeature that is the central to audiotext personal ad services. Anotherlimitation is that many people do not have Internet access, thuslimiting the number of advertisers and respondents.

In another format, an attempt is made to integrate audiotext personal adservices with the Internet. Using this approach, personal ads arepublished in both the newspaper and on the Internet. Each personal adincludes a 900 telephone number and an ad mailbox number permitting acaller to listen to an advertiser's voice greeting. This approach stillhas the disadvantage of not allowing an Internet user to listen to anadvertiser's voice greeting via the Internet. Moreover, an Internet usercan only respond to a personal ad via a telephone because this approachdoes not allow Internet users to exchange messages with telephone users.

To summarize, existing Internet personal ad services are limited in thatthey lack many of the features available on audiotext personal adservices. Also, existing personal ad services do not provide a means forthose using an audiotext personal ad service to effectively communicatewith those using an Internet personal ad service and vice versa.Therefore, there is a need for a personal ad system that seamlesslyintegrates an audiotext system with an Internet server, allowingstraightforward communication between those using a telephone and thoseusing the Internet. Such a system has been disclosed in detail by theapplicant in pending application Ser. No. 08/744,879. However, therestill remains the need to address some of the problems inherent in anintegrated audiotext and Internet based personal ad service.

A basic problem is that when a person responds to a personal ad via atelephone, she must give the advertiser a way to be contacted.Similarly, when a person responds to a personal ad via the Internet, shemust also give a way to be contacted. This typically consists of leavinga telephone number, street address, or electronic mail address. Manypeople are reluctant to give out this information to the advertiser.They prefer to be able to communicate anonymously with an advertiseruntil they are comfortable with giving out contact information.Therefore, the need arises for a system that allows respondents toinstantaneously create a private mailbox at the point of responding toan ad. This feature must also support seamless communication betweentelephone users and Internet users.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention allows telephone users to create a mailbox at thepoint of responding to an ad, regardless of whether the ad originated onthe telephone or on the Internet. Similarly, Internet users can create amailbox at the point of responding to a personal ad on the Internet,regardless of whether the ad originated on the telephone or via theInternet. By giving both advertisers and respondents a mailbox, they cancommunicate anonymously with each other until one or both arecomfortable with giving out a means of contact. Moreover, saidcommunication can occur regardless of whether a user is on a telephoneor on the Internet. This useful feature provides additional safety tousers of personal ad systems while preserving the ability for telephoneusers to seamlessly communicate with Internet users. The significantadvantages provided by the present invention are apparent from the abovedescription.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of the present invention, reference ismade to the following drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows a table of the fields used for storing personal data,including a brief description of the particular fields.

FIG. 3 shows a table of the fields used for storing greetings data,including a brief description of the particular fields.

FIG. 4 shows a table of the fields used for storing response data,including a brief description of the particular fields.

FIG. 5 shows a table of the fields used for storing response data,including a brief description of the particular fields.

FIG. 6 shows a flow diagram of an exemplary operation of the presentinvention, more specifically placing an ad through a telephone.

FIG. 7 shows a flow diagram of an exemplary operation of the presentinvention, more specifically placing an ad through the Internet.

FIG. 8 shows a flow diagram of an exemplary operation of the process ofnotifying an existing advertiser of new matches as accomplished by thepresent invention.

FIG. 9 shows a flow diagram of an exemplary operation of the process ofadvertiser matching through a telephone as accomplished by the presentinvention.

FIG. 10 shows a flow diagram of an exemplary operation of the process ofadvertiser matching through the Internet as accomplished by the presentinvention.

FIG. 11 shows a flow diagram of an exemplary operation of the process ofreviewing and summarizing ads as accomplished by the present invention.

FIG. 12 shows personal ads as they would appear in a local newspaper.

FIG. 13 shows a flow diagram of an exemplary operation of the process ofresponding to an ad through a telephone as accomplished by the presentinvention.

FIG. 14 shows a flow diagram of an exemplary operation of the process ofresponding to an ad through the Internet as accomplished by the presentinvention.

FIG. 15 shows a maximized personal ad as seen by the Internet user whochooses to expand the ad to full-page size.

FIG. 16 shows a flow diagram of the response confirmation process,including the Response Confirmation Form which gives the Internet userinstructions on how to enhance a response to an ad with, audio, video ora photograph.

FIG. 17 shows a flow diagram of an exemplary operation of the process ofnotifying an advertiser of a response as accomplished by the presentinvention.

FIG. 18 shows a flow diagram of an exemplary operation of the process ofretrieving responses through a telephone as accomplished by the presentinvention.

FIG. 19 shows a flow diagram of an exemplary operation of the process ofretrieving responses through the Internet as accomplished by the presentinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

As required, a detailed illustrative embodiment of the present inventionis disclosed herein. However, telephone techniques, physicalcommunication systems, data formats and operating structures inaccordance with the present invention may be embodied in a wide varietyof forms and modes, some of which may be quite different from those inthe disclosed embodiment. Consequently, the specific structural andfunctional details disclosed herein are merely representative, yet inthat regard, they are deemed to afford the best embodiment for purposesof disclosure and to provide a basis for the claims herein which definethe scope of the present invention.

Referring initially to FIG. 1, a series of remote telephone terminalsT1-Tn are represented. In addition, a series of remote computerterminals CT1-CTn are represented. The indicated terminals T1-Tnrepresent the multitude of telephone terminals existing in associationwith the public telephone network (PTN). The indicated computerterminals CT1-CTn represent the multitude of computer terminalsconnected to the Internet.

The PTN, which accommodates the individual terminals T1-Tn, is coupledto an Interactive Voice Response System (IVR). The Internet, whichaccommodates individual computer terminals CT1-CTn, is coupled to anInternet Web Server (IWS). Individual callers use the individualtelephone stations T1 through Tn to interface the IVR through the PTN.Individual users at computer terminals CT1 through CTn use the Internetto interface the IWS. Telephone callers and Internet users may recorddigital audio messages that can be listened to from any of the remotetelephone terminals T1-Tn or from any of the remote computer terminalsCT1-CTn. Internet users may also leave digital text messages that may beaccessed from any of the remote telephone terminals T1-Tn using text tospeech or from the remote computer terminals CT1-CTn via computermonitor.

Considering the system of FIG. 1 in somewhat greater detail, it is to beunderstood that the PTN has multiplexing capability for individuallycoupling the terminals T1-Tn to the IVR on request. In the illustrativeembodiment of the system, the individual terminals T1-Tn take the formof existing traditional or conventional telephone instruments. It isalso to be understood that the Internet has the capability forindividually connecting the computer terminals CT1-CTn to the IWS. Inthe illustrative embodiment of the system, the individual computerterminals CT1-CTn take the form of personal computers that comprise acentral processing unit CPU, modem, monitor, keyboard, hard drive, soundcard, speakers, and microphone.

Considering the IVR in somewhat greater detail, the PTN is coupled to anIVR as shown in FIG. 1. In the disclosed embodiment, from the PTN,forty-eight lines are connected to the IVR and, accordingly, the IVR mayaccommodate up to forty-eight simultaneous calls from the publictelephone network PTN. The IVR contains a processor, an exemplary formof which is an Intel 166 MHz Pentium Processor. The forty-eight linesfrom the PTN are connected to the processor though an interface 15, anexemplary form of which is a series of commercially available Dialogic(D240SC-T1) cards. The interface incorporates modems, tone decoders,switching mechanisms, Dialed Number Identification Service (DNIS) andAutomatic Number Identification (ANI) capability. The Dialogic cardstores audio information in the Dialogic .VOX format.

Generally, DNIS capability is a function of the PTN to provide digitaldata indicating the called number. ANI capability is a similar functionwhereby the digital data indicates the calling number.

Considering the IWS in somewhat greater detail, the IWS is coupled tothe Internet via a DSI line to a local Internet provider service. TheIWS may accommodate a multitude of simultaneous Internet users. Asrepresented, the IWS is a micro computer programmed for Internetinformation server operations. The IWS contains a processor and Internetserver software, exemplary forms of which are an Intel 166 Mhz PentiumProcessor and Microsoft Internet Information Server software.

The IWS is also loaded with RealAudio Server software from ProgressiveNetwork. RealAudio allows a Microsoft Windows .WAV file to be convertedinto a RealAudio .RA file, a compressed format that allows play backover the Internet in real time, as opposed to first downloading a fileand then listening to it. RealAudio accomplishes this by playing anaudio file while it is still downloading, using a process called datastreaming.

The IWS is also loaded with VDOLive Server software. VDOLive allows avideo clip in the Microsoft Windows AVI, Apple Quicktime, or MPEG videofile formats to be converted into a VDOLive .VDO format, a compressedformat that allows play back over the Internet in real time, as opposedto first downloading a file and then listening to it. VDOLive alsoutilizes data streaming.

The IVR and the IWS are coupled to a Database Server (DBS) via anEthernet hub as shown in FIG. 1. The system includes one or moreOperator Workstations OW1-OWn, through which an operator can interactwith and control the DBS, IVR and IWS.

The DBS is a computer programmed for database operations. In theillustrated embodiment, the DBS manages a personal Ad Database which iscomprised of multiple tables that manage ad creation, the audio greetingfiles, ad response files, photograph and video files. The Ad Databasecomprises an electronic equivalent of the personal classified ads placedvia telephone and the Internet, and responses placed to ads.

The IVR converts audio files received via telephone into the RealAudio.RA format for real time retrieval via the Internet. Conversely, the IWSconverts audio files received via the Internet into Dialogic .VOX filesfor retrieval via telephone. Audio file conversions are done throughaudio file conversion software, an exemplary form of which is SoundForge by Sonic Foundry.

The DBS contains a processor and an SQL (Structured Query Language)relational database software, exemplary forms of which are the Intel 166Mhz Pentium Processor and Microsoft SQL Server.

The Operator Workstation (OW) is a conventional personal computerequipped with a sound card capable of playing the audio data and a videodisplay capable of displaying digitally stored photographs and videos.An exemplary form of the OW is a microcomputer equipped with an Intel166 Mhz Pentium Processor and a Creative Labs Sound Blaster sound card.Operators review all incoming advertiser files—text, audio, photograph,and video—to insure that their content is appropriate. Also, operatorscreate text ads for publication in a newspaper.

The following sections describe in greater detail the interactionbetween the IVR, the DBS, the IWS, and the OW.

Placing an Ad Through a Telephone

An exemplary operation of the system of the present invention, withregard to a specific telephone caller placing a personal advertisementwill now be treated to accomplish the process as indicated in FIG. 6.First, suppose a telephone caller at terminal T1 makes a call to place apersonal advertisement in response to an advertisement in XYZ newspaper.The assumed call involves the telephone caller actuating the buttons toinput the number 1 800 555 3333, for example. As a result, signals areprovided to the public telephone network resulting in a connection fromthe remote terminal T1 to the IVR. Using standard DNIS techniques, theIVR associates the called number 1 800 555 3333 with a specific format,for example, a voice personals ad taking format.

The caller is first prompted to create a profile of himself by answeringa series of questions using the buttons on his touch tone phone. Theprofile contains data on the advertiser and the type of person theadvertiser wishes to meet. Referring initially to FIG. 6 and FIG. 2,upon receiving a call, the IVR cues the caller to enter his telephonenumber 801. The IVR stores the telephone number 802 in the fieldAD_PHONE 203. Next, the IVR cues the caller to enter his gender 803. Forexample: “If you are a woman, press 1. If you are a man, press 2.” TheIVR stores the caller's gender 804 in the field AD_GENDER 207. Next, theIVR cues the caller for his marital status 805. For example: “If you aresingle, press 1. If you are divorced, press 2. If you are widowed, press3.” The caller responds and the IVR stores the caller's marital status806 in the field AD_MARITAL_STATUS 208. Next, the IVR cues the callerfor his age 807. For example: “Please enter your age.” The caller's ageis then stored 808 in the field AD_AGE 209.

Next, the caller is prompted to indicate the type of person he wishes tomeet. The IVR first cues the caller for the martial status of the personhe is seeking 825. For example: “If you wish to meet someone who issingle, press 1. If you wish to meet someone who is divorced, press 2.If you wish to meet someone who is widowed, press 3.” The martial statussought is then stored 826 in the field AD_MARITAL_SOUGHT 212. Next, theIVR cues the caller to enter the lowest age of the person he wishes tomeet 827. For example: “Please enter the lowest age of the person youwish to meet.” The low age sought is them stored 828 in the fieldLOW_AGE_SOUGHT 213. Finally, the IVR cues the caller to enter thehighest age of the person he wishes to meet 829. For example: “Pleaseenter the highest age of the person you wish to meet.” The high agesought is then stored 830 in the field HIGH_AGE_SOUGHT 214. It is to beunderstood that the actual questions asked about the caller and theperson he is seeking are merely illustrative. The actual questions couldvary greatly in both number and kind.

Next, the IVR cues the caller to record an audio greeting 812. Theadvertiser's audio greeting is then stored to a disk file on the IVR 813and the Ad Database is updated 809. Specifically, the AD_REVIEW_FLAG 210in the AD_PERSONAL_TABLE of FIG. 2 is set to FALSE indicating that thead must be reviewed by an operator. In addition, a new record is createdin the AD_GREETINGS_TABLE of FIG. 3 and the field GR_REVIEW_FLAG 303 setto FALSE to indicate that the audio greeting has not been reviewed. Inthe new record, the fields GR_MAILBOX_NUMBER 301, GR_TYPE 302,GR_FILENAME 304, GR_DATE_TIME 305 in the AD_GREETINGS_TABLE of FIG. 3are also populated to indicate the advertiser's mailbox number, theformat of the audio file, the location of the audio file on the IVR, andthe date and time the greeting was recorded. The field GR_TYPE is set toVOX to indicate that the audio recording is in the Dialogic .VOX fileformat. Finally, the field GR_CONVERSION_FLAG 306 is set to FALSE toindicate that the audio file must be converted from the Dialogic .VOXformat to create a new audio file in the RealAudio .RA format forplayback on the Internet.

The IVR then cues the caller to indicate if he wishes to record ane-mail address 816. For example: “Press 1 to input an e-mail address.Press 2 to decline.” If the caller elects to leave an e-mail address,the IVR cues the caller to record his e-mail address 817. The audiorecording is stored to a disk file on the IVR 818 and the fieldAD_EMAIL_FILENAME 205 in AD_PERSONAL_TABLE of FIG. 2 is set, indicatingthat an e-mail audio file exists and its location on the IVR.

Next, the IVR assigns the advertiser a five digit mailbox number 819.For example: “Your 5-digit mailbox number is 12345.” The mailbox numberis then stored 820 in the field AD_MAILBOX_NUMBER 201. The IVR then cuesthe caller to enter a five digit password 821, and the password isstored 822 in the field AD_PASSWORD 202.

In addition, the IVR stores the date the ad is taken in the fieldAD_DATE_TIME 206, and updates the field AD_ORIGIN 211 to indicate thatthe personal ad originated on the telephone 823. Finally, the IVRcreates an electronic mailbox for the advertiser on the IWS 824, usingthe mailbox number stored in the field AD_MAILBOX_NUMBER 201 as theelectronic mailbox address, to allow respondents to submit audio, videoand photographic files in response to the advertiser's ad.

Finally, the IVR queries the Ad Database to determine if there are otherexisting advertiser's whose profile matches that of the new advertiser831. More specifically, there is a match if the values in the fieldAD_MARITAL_STATUS 208 and the values in the field AD_MARITAL SOUGHT 212match for each ad, and if the value in the field AD_AGE 209 for each adis within the range of values in the fields AD_LOW_AGE_SOUGHT 213 andAD_HIGH_AGE_SOUGHT 214 for the other ad. If the query finds one or moreads that match, the IVR speaks the number of matching ads to the caller832. For example: “The number of ads that match your preferences is 5.”The caller is then given both a 900 number 833 and an Internet address834 that can be used to retrieve the matches, and the call is terminated835. If no matches are found, the call is terminated 835.

In addition, the mailbox numbers of matching ads are placed in anotification queue 836, together with delivery information correspondingto the matching ad so that the existing advertisers can be notified thata new personal ad has come onto the system that matches the existingadvertisers' profile. The delivery information includes the telephonenumber and e-mail address, if available, of the existing advertiser tobe notified, together with mailbox number of the new ad coming onto thesystem.

Placing an Ad Through the Internet

An exemplary operation of the system, with regard to a specific Internetuser placing a personal advertisement will now be treated to accomplishthe process as indicated in FIG. 7. First, suppose a Internet user atterminal CT1 connects to the Internet to place a personal advertisementin response to an advertisement in XYZ newspaper. The assumed Internetuser connects to the Internet and inputs a Uniform Reference Locator(URL), resulting in a connection from the remote terminal CT1 to a HomePage 1001 on the IWS.

Referring to FIG. 7, from the Home Page 1001 on the IWS, the Internetuser selects an Ad Placement Form 1002. The Ad Placement Form 1002contains the following input fields corresponding to fields in the AdDatabase as indicated:

Gender 1003 AD_GENDER 207 Marital Status 1004 AD_MARITAL_STATUS 208 Age1005 AD_AGE 209 Martial Sought 1034 AD_MARTIAL_SOUGHT 212 Low Age Sought1035 AD_LOW_AGE_SOUHT 213 High Age Sought 1036 AD_HIGH_AGE_SOUGHT 214E-mail address 1006 AD_EMAIL_ADDRESS 204 Phone Number 1007 AD_PHONE 203Password 1008 AD_PASSWORD 202 Greeting Text 1014 GR_FILENAME 304

This process largely parallels the process of placing a personal ad viaa telephone. The password 1008 is used by the advertiser to retrievemessages and the e-mail address 1006 and telephone number 1007 are usedto contact the advertiser. The gender 1003, age 1005, and marital status1004 fields create a profile of the advertiser. The marital sought 1034,low age sought 1035 and high age sought 1036 fields complete theadvertiser's profile by indicating the type of person the advertiserwishes to meet. Finally, the field Greeting Text 1014 comprises theadvertiser's text personal ad.

The Internet user completes the Ad Placement Form 1002 and presses the“Submit” button to submit her ad. The form is checked by the IWS forcompleteness 1016. If the form is incomplete, the user is returned tothe Ad Placement Form 1002. If the form is complete, the IWS updates theAd Database 1017. This includes assigning the user a five digit mailboxnumber and storing it in the field AD_MAILBOX_NUMBER 201. In addition,the advertiser's profile, contact information, password and greeting areadded to the Ad Database. Also, the advertiser's text greeting is storedto a disk file on the IWS. Next, the AD_REVIEW_FLAG 210 in theAD_PERSONAL_TABLE of FIG. 2 is set to FALSE indicating that the ad mustbe reviewed by an operator, a new record is created in theAD_GREETINGS_TABLE of FIG. 3, and the field GR_REVIEW_FLAG 303 is set toFALSE to indicate that the text greeting has not been reviewed. In thenew record, the fields GR_MAILBOX_NUMBER 301, GR_TYPE 302, GR_FILENAME304, GR_DATE_TIME 305 in the AD_GREETINGS_TABLE of FIG. 3 are alsopopulated to indicate the advertiser's mailbox number, the file format,the location of the text file on the IWS, and the date and time thegreeting was placed. Specifically, the field GR_TYPE is set to TEXT.Finally, the field GR_CONVERSION_FLAG is set to TRUE to indicate thatthe text does not need to be converted to a different format.

Next, the IWS queries the Ad Database to determine if there are otherexisting advertiser's whose profile matches that of the new advertiser1018. The IWS then creates an Ad Confirmation Page 1020. If the queryfinds one or more ads that match, the Ad Confirmation Page displays atext message of the number of matching ads 1027. The text message isdisplayed as a hyper-link which can be followed by a browser to theactual matching ads. In addition, the Ad Confirmation Page 1020 confirmsthe advertiser's mailbox number 1021, and gives the advertiser an e-mailaddress to submit an audio greeting 1022, photograph 1023, or video clip1024 for inclusion with her personal ad. Also, the Internet Web Serverstores the date and time the ad is taken in the field AD_DATE_TIME 206,and updates the field AD_ORIGIN 211 to indicate that the personal adoriginated on the Internet 1025. Finally, In addition, the IWS createsan electronic mailbox for the advertiser 1026, using the mailbox numberstored in the field AD_MAILBOX_NUMBER as the electronic mail address, toallow respondents to submit audio, video and photographic files inresponse to the advertiser's ad.

In addition, the mailbox numbers of matching ads are placed in anotification queue 1038, together with delivery informationcorresponding to the matching ad so that the existing advertisers can benotified that a new personal ad has come onto the system that matchesthe existing advertisers' profile. The delivery information includes thetelephone number and e-mail address, if available, of the existingadvertiser to be notified, together with mailbox number of the new adcoming onto the system.

Enhancing an Internet Ad with Audio, Photograph and Video

A more detailed explanation of how an advertiser submits an audiogreeting, photograph, or video clip via CT1 will now be given. To submitan audio greeting, the advertiser first makes an audio recording using aWAV file editor and then saves the file using her five digit mailboxnumber as the file name 1030FIG. 7, for example: 44567.wav. Theadvertiser then submits the audio file using e-mail to an audio greetingelectronic mailbox 1031. The advertiser's audio recording is stored to adisk file on the Internet Web Server.

In addition, a new record is created in the AD_GREETINGS_TABLE of FIG. 3and the Ad Database is updated 1032. Specifically, the fieldGR_REVIEW_FLAG 303 is set to FALSE to indicate that the audio greetinghas not been reviewed. Also, the fields GR_MAILBOX_NUMBER 301, GR_TYPE302, GR_FILENAME 304, GR_DATE_TIME 305 in the AD_GREETINGS_TABLE of FIG.3 are also populated to indicate the advertiser's mailbox number, theformat of the audio file, and the location of the audio file on the IWS,and the date and time the greeting placed. The field GR_TYPE is set toWAV to indicate that the audio recording is in the Microsoft .WAV fileformat. Finally, the field GR_CONVERSION_FLAG 306 is set to FALSE toindicate that the audio file must be converted from the Microsoft .WAVformat to create two new audio files: one in the RealAudio .RA formatfor playback on the Internet, and another in the Dialogic .VOX formatfor playback via the telephone.

To enhance a personal ad with a photograph, the advertiser firstdigitizes a photograph using a scanner or takes a photograph with adigital camera and then saves the image to a .GIF file using her fivedigit mailbox number as the file name 1037, for example: 44567.gif. Theadvertiser then submits the graphic file using e-mail to an photographelectronic mailbox 1031.

The advertiser's photo is stored to a disk file on the IWS and the AdDatabase is updated 1032. Specifically, a new record is created in theAD_GREETINGS_TABLE of FIG. 3 and the field GR_REVIEW_FLAG 303 set toFALSE to indicate that the graphic file has not been reviewed. In eachnew record, the fields GR_MAILBOX_NUMBER 301, GR_TYPE 302, GR_FILENAME304, GR_DATE_TIME 305 in the AD_GREETINGS_TABLE of FIG. 3 are alsopopulated to indicate the advertiser's mailbox number, the format of thegraphic file, and the location of the graphic file on the IWS, and thedate and time the photograph was received. The field GR_TYPE 302 is setto GIF to indicate that the graphic file is in the .GIF file format.Finally, the field GR_CONVERSION_FLAG 306 is set to TRUE to indicatethat no file conversion is necessary as .GIF is the graphic file formatused by the IWS. If other graphic formats were accepted, they might haveto be converted to a .GIF format, depending on the file formatssupported by the IWS. If file conversion were necessary, the fieldGR_CONVERSION_FLAG 306 would be set to FALSE.

To enhance a personal ad with video, the advertiser first digitizes avideo clip and then saves the image to a Microsoft .AVI file using herfive digit mailbox number as the file name 1037, for example: 44567.avi.Other video formats such as Apple Quicktime, or MPEG video could also beused. The advertiser then submits the graphic file using e-mail to anelectronic mailbox 1031.

The advertiser's video clip is stored to a disk file on the IWS and theAd Database is updated 1032. Specifically, a new record is created inthe AD_GREETINGS_TABLE of FIG. 3 and the field GR_REVIEW_FLAG 303 set toFALSE to indicate that the video file has not been reviewed. In each newrecord, the fields GR_MAILBOX_NUMBER 301, GR_TYPE 302, GR_FILENAME 304,GR_DATE_TIME 305 in the AD_GREETINGS_TABLE of FIG. 3 are populated toindicate the advertiser's mailbox number, the format of the video file,and the location of the video file on the IWS, and the date and time thevideo was received. Specifically, the field GR_TYPE 302 is set to AVI toindicate that the video clip is in the Microsoft .AVI file format.Finally, the field GR_CONVERSION_FLAG 306 is set to FALSE to indicatethat the video file must be converted to the VDOLive format for realtime playback on the Internet.

Notifying an Existing Advertiser of New Matches

FIG. 8 illustrates the notification routine that processes the recordsplaced in the notification queue in step 836 of FIG. 6 and step 1038 ofFIG. 7. In step 7001, the DBS scans the notification queue to determineif any notifications are scheduled to be made at the present time. Aspreviously described, each notification record includes the telephonenumber and e-mail address, if available, of the advertiser to benotified, together with the mailbox number of the new matching personalad that has come onto the system. In step 7003, the DBS scans thenotification record for an e-mail address. If an e-mail address ispresent, the DBS sends the record to the IWS 7004. In step 7005, the IWSsends an e-mail message to the advertiser informing him that a new adhas come onto the system that matches his profile. The e-mail messageincludes the mailbox number of the new ad. The mailbox number is also alink that can be followed to the actual ad for those retrieving theire-mail via a browser. Step 7006 sends the record to the IVR. In step7007, the IVR dials an advertiser's telephone number contained in thecallback record and waits for a response. If a voice response is notreceived, then the IVR sends a corresponding message to the DBS. The DBSthen marks the time of the attempted callback in the notification queuerecord, so that a set period of time can be established between callbackattempts. A note could also be made if an e-mail message had been sentto avoid sending duplicate notifications. If a voice response isreceived 7008, then, in step 7009, the IVR sends a voice messageinforming the person that a new ad has come onto the system that matchesthe person's profile. The voice message also gives a 900 number andInternet address that can be used to receive the match. It may bedesirable in certain applications to prompt the person who answers thetelephone for a password and mailbox number to verify their identity.Also, it may be desirable to actually allow the person to listen andrespond to his match during the call.

Advertiser Matching Via Telephone

An exemplary operation of the system of the present invention, withregard to an advertiser retrieving personal ads that match hispreferences will now be treated to accomplish the process as indicatedin FIG. 9. First, suppose a telephone caller at terminal T1 places acall to retrieve matches after having placed a personal ad or afterhaving been notified of the existence of a new personal ad that matchhis preferences. The assumed call involves the advertiser actuating thebuttons to input the number 1 900 777 4444, for example. As a result,signals are provided to the PTN resulting in a connection from theremote terminal T1 to the IVR. Using standard DNIS techniques, the IVRassociates the called number 1 900 777 4444 with a specific format, forexample, a match retrieval format.

Referring to FIG. 9, upon receiving a call, the IVR sets the “logonattempts” equal to zero 8001. The IVR then increments the “logonattempts” by one 8002 and cues the caller for a mailbox number 8007 andpassword 8003. The IVR then queries the Ad Database to determine if themailbox number and password are valid 8004. If the entries are notvalid, the IVR determines if the caller has exceeded the maximum numberof logon attempts allowed 8005. If the caller has exceeded the maximumnumber of logon attempts allowed, the call is terminated 8006. If themaximum number of logon attempts allowed has not been exceeded, the IVRincrements the “logon attempts” by one 8002 and again cues the callerfor a mailbox number and password 8003.

If the entries are valid, the IVR then queries the Ad Database forexisting ads whose profile matches that of the caller 8008. If there areno matches, the call is terminated 8006. If the IVR finds a match, theIVR plays the greeting of the matching ad 8009. If the greeting is intext form, the IVR uses text to speech to play the message. The IVR thenprompts the caller to indicate if he wishes to respond to the ad 8010.

If the caller elects not to respond to the ad and there are noadditional matches, the call is terminated 8015. If the caller electsnot to respond to the ad and there are additional matches, the caller isreturned to block 8009.

If the caller elects to respond to the ad, the IVR next cues him torecord his response 8011. The IVR then stores the response to a diskfile 8012 and updates the Ad Database 8013. Specifically, the IVRcreates a new record in the AD_RESPONSE_TABLE of FIG. 5 and populatesthe fields RSP_MAILBOX_NUMBER 501, RSP_RMAILBOX_NUMBER 502,RSP_DATE_TIME 503, RSP_TYPE 504, and RSP_FILENAME 505 to indicate themailbox number of the ad responded to, the mailbox number of therespondent, the date and time of the response, the format of theresponse, and the location of the response file on the IVR. The fieldRSP_TYPE 504 is set to VOX to indicate that the audio recording is inthe Dialogic .VOX file format. Finally, the field RSP_CONVERSION_FLAG506 is set to FALSE to indicate that the audio must be converted fromthe Dialogic .VOX format to create a new audio file in the RealAudio .RAformat for playback on the Internet.

The IVR creates a new RealAudio .RA file from the Dialogic .VOX file andstores the RealAudio file to a disk file on the IWS and updates the AdDatabase. Specifically, the IVR creates a new record in theAD_RESPONSE_TABLE of FIG. 5 and populates the fields RSP_MAILBOX_NUMBER501, RSP_RMAILBOX_NUMBER 502, RSP_DATE_TIME 503, RSP_TYPE 504, andRSP_FILENAME 505 to indicate the mailbox number of the ad responded to,the mailbox number of the respondent, the date and time of the response,the format of the response, and the location of the response file on theIVR. The field RSP_TYPE 504 is set to RA to indicate that the audiorecording is in the RealAudio .RA file format.

Finally, the field RSP_CONVERSION_FLAG 506 is set to TRUE for both theaudiotext .VOX file and the RealAudio .RA file to indicate that theaudio files do not need to be converted.

If there are additional matches, the caller is returned to block 8009.Otherwise, the call is terminated 8015.

Advertiser Matching Via the Internet

An exemplary operation of the system of the present invention, withregard to a specific advertiser retrieving her matches via the Internetwill now be treated to accomplish the process as indicated in FIG. 10.First, suppose an advertiser at terminal CT1 connects to the Internet tofind existing ads that match her profile. The assumed advertiserconnects to the Internet and inputs a Uniform Reference Locator URL,resulting in a connection from the remote terminal CT1 to a Home Page1301 on the Internet Web Server.

Referring to FIG. 10, from the Home Page 9001 on the Internet WebServer, the Internet user selects a Match Form 9002. The Match Form 9002instructs the advertiser to enter a mailbox number 9003 and password9004. The IWS then queries the Ad Database to determine if the mailboxnumber and password are valid 9005. If the entries are not valid, theInternet user is presented with an Invalid Mailbox and Password Form9006. If the entries are valid, the TWS queries the Ad Database 9007 tofind existing ads whose profile matches that of the advertiser.

If the query does not find any matching ads, the advertiser is presentedwith a No Matches Page 9009. If the query finds one or more matchingads, the IWS presents the advertiser with a Results Form 9010. TheResults Form 9010 shows the matching ads. Specifically, the Results Formshows the twenty word text ad that appears in the newspaper 9011. Inaddition, each ad contains one or more icons that represent anyadditional text or multimedia files (audio, video, photograph) for theads that are available on the IWS. These icons include an audio icon9012 to denote the ad's audio greeting, a still camera icon 9013 todenote a photograph of the advertiser, a video camera icon 9014 todenote a video clip of the advertiser, or a paper icon 9015 to denotethe ad's full text greeting, if the ad was placed on the Internet. It isto be understood that these icons are merely representative and thatmany other possibilities exist to denote the existence of text andmultimedia files. By clicking on an icon, the Internet user can view orlisten to the associated file. In addition, by selecting a maximize bar9016, the Internet user can expand an ad to a full page size, see FIG.15.

The Internet user responds to an ad by selecting the “Respond” button9017. When the Internet user selects the respond button, she ispresented with an Ad Response Form 9018. The Internet user creates aresponse by typing in a response text field 9019. After completing theAd Response Form, the Internet user submits the form by pressing the“Submit” button 9020. The advertiser is then presented with a ResponseConfirmation Form 9021. The Response Confirmation Form gives theadvertiser information on enhancing her response with an audio message,photograph, or video clip.

The IWS then stores the response to a disk file and updates the AdDatabase 9022. Specifically, the IWS creates a new record in theAD_RESPONSE_TABLE of FIG. 5 and then populates the fieldsRSP_MAILBOX_NUMBER 501, RSP_RMAILBOX_NUMBER 502, RSP_DATE_TIME 503,RSP_TYPE 504, and RSP_FILENAME 505 to indicate the mailbox number of thead responded to, the mailbox number of the respondent, the date and timeof the response, the format of the response, and the location of theresponse file on the IWS. The field RSP_TYPE 504 is set to TEXT.Finally, the field RSP_CONVERSION_FLAG 506 is set to TRUE to indicatethat the text does not need to be converted to a different format.

The Internet user can return to the Results Form by using the “Back” keyon her browser.

Reviewing and Summarizing Ads

All new personal ads are reviewed by an operator at an OW to insure thattheir content is appropriate. Also, each greeting submitted by anadvertiser, whether it be an audio greeting recorded by an advertiservia a telephone or a text greeting placed by an advertiser via theInternet, is summarized by an operator to create a twenty wordclassified text ad for publication in a newspaper. The twenty word limitis a function of newspaper imposed space limitations. It should be notedthat space limitations, if they exist at all, may vary widely fromnewspaper to newspaper. In another format, text ads that are publishedin the newspaper are first placed with a live operator via a telephone,precluding the need to summarize an audio recording.

An exemplary operation of the process of reviewing and summarizing adswith regard to a specific operator at OW1 will now be treated toaccomplish the process as indicated in FIG. 11. The operator firstqueries the Ad Database to determine if there are new ads to review1800. Specifically, the query looks for all ads in the AD_PERSONAL_TABLEof FIG. 2 where the field AD_REVIEW_FLAG 210 is set to FALSE. If thequery finds a new ad, the operator first reviews the ad's greeting 1801as found in the AD_GREETINGS_TABLE of FIG. 3. If the ad was placed viatelephone, this consists of listening to the ad's audio greeting. If thead was placed via the Internet, this consists of reading the textgreeting. The operator then determines if the greeting's contents areappropriate 1802. If the greeting's contents are inappropriate, the adis deleted and the record purged from the Ad Database 1803 and theoperator is returned to block 1800. If the greeting's contents areappropriate, the operator writes a twenty word summary of the greeting1804. The operator then queries the Ad Database to determine if theadvertiser recorded an e-mail address 1805. If an e-mail address audiorecording is found, the operator transcribes the e-mail address 1806.The operator then updates the Ad Database 1807.

Specifically, the advertiser's twenty word text summary is stored to adisk file on the IWS. The AD_REVIEW_FLAG 210 in the AD_PERSONAL_TABLE ofFIG. 2 is set to TRUE indicating that the ad has been reviewed. Inaddition, a new record for the text summary is created in theAD_GREETINGS_TABLE of FIG. 3 and the field GR_REVIEW_FLAG 303 set toTRUE indicating that the record has been reviewed. In the new record,the fields GR_MAILBOX_NUMBER 301, GR_TYPE 302, GR_FILENAME 304,GR_DATE_TIME 305 in the AD_GREETINGS_TABLE of FIG. 3 are also populatedto indicate the advertiser's mailbox number, the file format, and thelocation of the text file on the IWS, and the date and time. The fieldGR_TYPE is set to TEXT. Finally, the field GR_CONVERSION_FLAG 306 is setto TRUE to indicate that the text does not need to be converted to adifferent format.

The operator then returns to block 1800 to continue processing ads. Ifno new ads are found, the operator queries the Ad Database to determineif any multimedia files (audio, video, or photo) have been submitted viathe Internet to enhance a personal ad 1808. Specifically, the querylooks for all ads in the AD_PERSONAL_TABLE of FIG. 2 where the fieldAD_REVIEW_FLAG 210 is set to TRUE that has files in theAD_GREETING_TABLE of FIG. 3 where the GR_REVIEW_FLAG 303 is set toFALSE. If the query finds a multimedia file, the operator first reviewsthe file 1809. If it is an audio file, this consists of listening to thead's audio greeting. If it is a video or graphic file, this consists ofviewing the file. The operator then determines if the greeting'scontents are appropriate 1810. If the greeting's contents areinappropriate, the file is deleted and the record purged from the AdDatabase 1811. The operator is then returned to block 1808 to continueprocessing multimedia files. If the file's contents are appropriate, theoperator approves the file 1812 and updates the Ad Database 1813.Specifically, this consists of setting the field GR_REVIEW_FLAG 303 toTRUE to indicate that the file has been reviewed.

If the file is an audio file, the OW converts the file to create a newRealAudio RA file and stores the file on the IWS. The OW also convertsthe file to create a Dialogic VOX file and stores the file on the IVR.For each new audio file, a new record is created in theAD_GREETINGS_TABLE of FIG. 3 and the fields GR_MAILBOX_NUMBER 301,GR_TYPE 302, GR_DATE_TIME 305, and GR_FILENAME 304 are populated toindicate the mailbox number of the advertiser, the format of the file,the date and time, and the location of the audio file on the IVR. Also,the field GR_REVIEW_FLAG 303 is set to TRUE to indicate that the filehas been reviewed. Finally, the field GR_CONVERSION_FLAG is set to TRUEto indicate that the audio file does not need to be converted.

If the file is a video file, the OW converts the Microsoft AVI file tocreate a new VDOLive file and stores the file on the IWS. Also, a newrecord is created in the AD_GREETINGS_TABLE of FIG. 3 and the fieldsGR_MAILBOX_NUMBER 301, GR_TYPE 302, GR_DATE_TIME 305, and GR_FILENAME304 are populated to indicate the mailbox number of the advertiser, theformat of the file, the date and time, and the location of the videofile on the IVR. Also, the field GR_REVIEW_FLAG 303 is set to TRUE toindicate that the file has been reviewed. Finally, the fieldGR_CONVERSION_FLAG 306 is set to TRUE to indicate that the video filedoes not need to be converted.

The operator then returns to block 1808 to continue processingmultimedia files. If no new multimedia files are found, the session isterminated 1814.

Publishing Ads in the Newspaper

Each week, all the twenty-word summary text ads from personal adssubmitted via telephone and via the Internet are published in anewspaper along with their five digit mailbox numbers. FIG. 12 depictspersonal ads as they would appear in the local newspaper. Icons areincluded in each ad that represent the origin of an ad (via telephone orvia the Internet) and what additional information or multimedia, if any,is available on the Internet. For example, an ad placed via thetelephone contains a telephone icon 2001; an ad placed via the Internetcontains a computer icon 2002. If there is additional text on theInternet, an ad contains an icon denoting additional text 2003. Thepresence of a photo or video clip is indicated respectively by a stillcamera 2004 and video camera 2005 icons.

Responding to an Ad Through a Telephone

An exemplary operation of the system of the present invention, withregard to a telephone caller responding to a personal advertisement willnow be treated to accomplish the process as indicated in FIG. 13. First,suppose a telephone caller at terminal T1 places a call to respond to apersonal ad advertised in XYZ newspaper. The assumed call involves thetelephone caller actuating the buttons to input the number 1 900 7773333, for example. As a result, signals are provided to the PTNresulting in a connection from the remote terminal T1 to the IVR. Usingstandard DNIS techniques, the IVR associates the called number 1 900 7773333 with a specific format, for example, a voice personals responseformat.

Referring to FIG. 13, upon receiving a call, the IVR sets the “invalidmailbox number count” equal to zero 2301 . The IVR then increments the“invalid mailbox number count” by one 2302 and cues the caller for amailbox number 2303. Upon the caller entering a mailbox number, the IVRqueries the field AD_MAILBOX_NUMBER 201 to determine if the mailboxnumber is valid 2304. If the mailbox number is invalid, the IVRdetermines if the caller has exceeded the maximum number of attemptsallowed 2305. If the caller has exceeded the maximum number of attemptsallowed, the call is terminated 2306. If the maximum number of attemptsallowed has not been exceeded, the IVR increments the “invalid mailboxnumber count” by one 2302 and again cues the caller for a mailbox number2303.

If the mailbox number is valid, the IVR queries the field AD_ORIGIN 211to determine if the ad originated on the Internet 2307. If the adoriginated on the telephone, the IVR plays the ad's audio greeting 2311.If the ad originated on the Internet, the IVR uses text to speech toplay the ad's text greeting as placed on the Internet 2308. The IVR thenqueries the AD_GREETINGS_TABLE of FIG. 2 to determine if the Internetadvertiser also submitted an audio greeting 2309. If the query does notfind an audio greeting 2310, the IVR prompts the caller to indicate ifhe wishes to respond to the ad 2312. If the query finds an audiogreeting 2310, the IVR plays the audio greeting 2311. The IVR thenprompts the caller to indicate if he wishes to respond to the ad 2312.

If the caller elects not to respond to the ad, he is given the option ofhaving the IVR find other ads that are similar to the one he justlistened to 2324. If the caller elects to respond to the ad, the IVRcues the caller to enter his five digit mailbox number or to enter “#”if he does not have a mailbox number 2332. If the caller indicates thathe does not have a mailbox number by entering the “#” key, the IVRassigns the respondent a five digit mailbox number 2327. For example.“Your five digit mailbox number is 54321.” The mailbox number is thenstored 2328 in the field PR_MAILBOX_NUMBER 401. The IVR then cues therespondent to enter a five digit password 2329. The password is thenstored 2330 in the field PR_PASSWORD 402. The Ad Database is thenupdated 2331 to include the date and time the mailbox is created.

The IVR first cues the caller to record his response 2319. The IVR thenstores the response to a disk file and updates the Ad Database 2321.Specifically, the IVR creates a new record in the AD_RESPONSE_TABLE ofFIG. 5 and populates the fields RSP_MAILBOX_NUMBER 501,RSP_RMAILBOX_NUMBER 502, RSP_DATE_TIME 503, RSP_TYPE 504, andRSP_FILENAME 505 to indicate the mailbox number of the ad responded to,the mailbox number of the respondent, the date and time of the response,the format of the response, and the location of the response file on theIVR. The field RSP_TYPE 504 is set to VOX to indicate that the audiorecording is in the Dialogic .VOX file format. Finally, the fieldRSP_CONVERSION_FLAG 506 is set to FALSE to indicate that the audio mustbe converted from the Dialogic .VOX format to create a new audio file inthe RealAudio .RA format for playback on the Internet.

The IVR also creates a new RealAudio .RA file from Dialogic .VOX fileand stores the RealAudio file to a disk file on the IWS. Specifically,the IVR creates a new record in the AD_RESPONSE_TABLE of FIG. 5 andpopulates the fields RSP_MAILBOX_NUMBER 501, RSP_RMAILBOX_NUMBER 502,RSP_DATE_TIME 503, RSP_TYPE 504, and RSP_FILENAME 505 to indicate themailbox number of the ad responded to, the mailbox number of therespondent, the date and time of the response, the format of theresponse, and the location of the response file on the IVR. The fieldRSP_TYPE 504 is set to RA to indicate that the audio recording is in theRealAudio .RA file format. Finally, the field RSP_CONVERSION_FLAG 506 isset to TRUE for both the audiotext .VOX file and the RealAudio .RA fileto indicate that the audio files do not need to be converted.

In addition, the mailbox number of the personal ad responded to isplaced in a notification queue 2322, together with delivery informationcorresponding to the ad, so that the advertiser can be notified that aresponse has been left for her ad. The delivery information includes thetelephone number and e-mail address, if available, of the advertiser tobe notified.

The caller is then asked if he wants the IVR to automatically find otherads that are similar to the one he just responded to 2324. If the callerdeclines this option, the call is terminated 2326.

Response Matching Via Telephone

If the caller chooses to have the IVR find other matching ads, the IVRqueries the Ad Database to find other ads that are similar to the adselected by the caller. Specifically, an ad is deemed to be similar ifthe age in the ad's profile is within five years of the profile of thead selected by the caller and if the ads have the same gender andmarital status. Its is to be understood that the criteria used todetermine a similar ad could vary greatly in kind and quantity.

If the query does not find any matches, the call is terminated 2326. Ifthe query returns a match, the caller is returned to block 2307 forprocessing.

Responding to an Ad Through the Internet

An exemplary operation of the system of the present invention, withregard to a specific Internet user responding to a personal ad via theInternet will now be treated to accomplish the process as indicated inFIG. 14. First, suppose an advertiser at terminal CT1 connects to theInternet to respond to a personal advertisement advertised in XYZnewspaper. The assumed Internet user connects to the Internet and inputsa URL resulting in a connection from the remote terminal CT1 to a HomePage 2401 on the IWS.

Referring to FIG. 14, from the Home Page 2401 on the IWS, the Internetuser selects an Ad Response Form 2402. The Ad Response Form instructsthe Internet user to enter the five digit mailbox number of the ad shewishes to respond to 2403. Upon the Internet user entering her mailboxnumber, the IWS queries the field AD_MAILBOX_NUMBER in the Ad Databaseto determine if the mailbox number is valid 2404. If the mailbox numberis invalid, the Internet user is presented with an Invalid MailboxNumber Form 2405.

If the mailbox number is valid, the IWS presents the Internet user witha Results Form 2406. The Results Form 2406 shows the ad the Internetuser selected. Specifically, the Results Form shows the twenty word textad that appears in the newspaper 2407. In addition, the ad contains oneor more icons that represent any additional text or multimedia files(audio, video, photograph) for the ad that are available on the IWS anda link to other ads that match the ad to which the Internet user isresponding. These icons include an audio icon 2408 to denote the ad'saudio greeting, a still camera icon 2409 to denote a photograph of theadvertiser, a video camera icon 2410 to denote a video clip of theadvertiser, a paper icon 2411 to denote the ad's full text greeting, ifthe ad was placed on the Internet, and a matching icon to denote thatthe IWS has identified other ads that are similar to the one beingresponded to 2415. It is to be understood that these icons are merelyrepresentative and that many other possibilities exist to denote theexistence of text and multimedia files. By clicking on an icon, theInternet user can view or listen to the associated file. In addition, byselecting a maximize bar 2412, the Internet user can expand an ad tofull page size, as shown in FIG. 15. The Internet user responds to an adby selecting the “Respond” button 2413.

When the Internet user selects the respond button, she is transferred toan Ad Response Form 2414. The Ad Response Form instructs the Internetuser to enter her five digit mailbox number 2417 and to complete theresponse text field 2416.

If the Internet user does not have a mailbox number, she is instructedto create one by selecting the “Create New Mailbox” button 2426. Afterselecting the “Create New Mailbox” button, the Internet users ispresented with a Mailbox Confirmation Page 2418 that assigns theInternet user a five digit mailbox number and a five digit password2419. By selecting the “Complete Response” button 2420, the Internetuser can return to the Ad Response Form 2414. The IWS then updates theAd Database. Specifically, the IWS stores the Internet user's newmailbox number and password to the fields PR_MAILBOX_NUMBER 401 andPR_PASSWORD 402 in the AD_PERSONAL_RESPONSE_TABLE of FIG. 42421 alongwith the date and time the new mailbox is created.

After completing the Ad Response Form, the Internet user submits theform by pressing the “Submit” button 2422. The advertiser is thenpresented with a Response Confirmation Form 2423 which is illustrated inFIG. 16. The Response Confirmation Form gives the advertiser informationon enhancing her response with an audio message, photograph, or videoclip.

The IWS then stores the response to a disk file and updates the AdDatabase 2424. Specifically, the IWS creates a new record in theAD_RESPONSE_TABLE of FIG. 5 and populates the fields RSP_MAILBOX_NUMBER501, RSP_RMAILBOX_NUMBER 501, RSP_DATE_TIME 503, RSP_TYPE 504, andRSP_FILENAME 505 to indicate the mailbox number of the ad responded to,the mailbox number of the respondent, the date and time of the response,the format of the response, and the location of the response file on theIWS. The field RSP_TYPE 504 is set to TEXT. Finally, the fieldRSP_CONVERSION_FLAG 506 is set to TRUE to indicate that the text doesnot need to be converted to a different format.

In addition, the mailbox number of the personal ad responded to isplaced in a notification queue 2425, together with delivery informationcorresponding to the ad, so that the advertiser can be notified that aresponse has been left for her ad. The delivery information includes thetelephone number and e-mail address, if available, of the advertiser tobe notified.

Enhancing a Response with Audio, Photograph and Video

As already indicated, after a text response has been submitted via theInternet, the Internet user is shown a Response Confirmation Form 1501as shown in FIG. 16. The response confirmation form gives the Internetuser instructions on how to enhance a response to an ad with audio,video, or a photograph.

A more detailed explanation of how a respondent submits an audioresponse, photograph, or video clip via CT1 will now be given. To submitan audio response, the Internet user first makes an audio recordingusing a WAV file editor and then saves the file 1503, for example:response.wav. The Internet user then submits the audio file using e-mailto the recipient's electronic mailbox on the IWS 1504 1512. The Internetuser's audio response is stored to a disk file on the IWS and the AdDatabase is updated 1505.

Specifically, the IVR creates a new record in the AD_RESPONSE_TABLE ofFIG. 5 and populates the fields RSP_MAILBOX_NUMBER 501,RSP_RMAILBOX_NUMBER 501, RSP_DATE_TIME 503, RSP_TYPE 504, andRSP_FILENAME 506 to indicate the mailbox number of the ad responded to,the mailbox of the respondent, the date and time of the response, theformat of the audio file, and the location of the audio file on the IVR.The field RSP_TYPE 504 is set to WAV to indicate that the audiorecording is in the Microsoft .WAV file format. Also, the fieldRSP_CONVERSION_FLAG 506 is set to FALSE to indicate that the audio filemust be converted from the Microsoft .WAV format to create two new audioresponse files: one in the RealAudio .RA format for playback on theInternet, and another in the Dialogic .VOX format for playback via thetelephone.

The IWS determines if conversion of audio files is needed 1506, and thencreates a new RealAudio .RA file and Dialogic .VOX file from theMicrosoft .WAV file 1507. The RealAudio file is stored on the IWS andthe Dialogic file is stored on the IVR. The IWS also updates the AdDatabase 1508. Specifically, for each new audio file, the IWS creates anew record in the AD_RESPONSE_TABLE of FIG. 5 and populates the fieldsRSP_MAILBOX_NUMBER 501, RSP_RMAILBOX_NUMBER 502, RSP_DATE_TIME 503,RSP_TYPE 504, and RSP_FILENAME 505 to indicate the mailbox number of thead responded to, the mailbox of the respondent, the date and time of theresponse, the format of the response, and the location of the responsefile on the IWS. Finally, the field RSP_CONVERSION_FLAG 506 is set toTRUE for both the source audio file (.WAV) and the target audio files(.VOX and .RA) to indicate that the audio files do not need to beconverted 1509.

To send a photograph in response to an ad, the Internet user firstdigitizes a photograph using a scanner or takes a photograph with adigital camera and then saves the image to a .GIF file, for example:response.gif 1510. The respondent then submits the graphic file usinge-mail to the recipient's electronic mailbox 1504. The respondent'sphoto is stored to a disk file on the IWS and the Ad Database is updated1505.

Specifically, the IWS creates a new record in the AD_RESPONSE_TABLE ofFIG. 5 and populates the RSP_MAILBOX_NUMBER 501, RSP_RMAILBOX_NUMBER502, RSP_DATE_TIME 503, RSP_TYPE 504, and RSP_FILENAME 505 to indicatethe mailbox number of the ad responded to, the mailbox number of therespondent, the date and time of the response, the file format of thephotograph, and the location of the file on the IWS. The field RSP_TYPE504 is set to GIF to indicate that the graphic file is in the .GIF fileformat. Finally, the field RSP_CONVERSION_FLAG 506 is set to TRUE toindicate that no file conversion is necessary as .GIF is the graphicfile format used by the IWS 1506. It should be noted that fileconversion may or may not be necessary depending on what file formatsare supported by the IWS and IVR and in which formats the system allowsusers to submit files.

To send an advertiser a video clip, the Internet user first digitizes avideo clip and then saves the image to a Microsoft .AVI file 1510, forexample: 44567.avi. Other video formats such as Apple Quicktime, or MPEGvideo could also be used. The respondent then submits the graphic fileusing e-mail to the recipient's electronic mailbox 1504. Therespondent's video is stored to a disk file on the IWS and the AdDatabase is updated 1505.

Specifically, the IVR creates a new record in the AD_RESPONSE_TABLE ofFIG. 5 and populates the fields RSP_MAILBOX_NUMBER 501,RSP_RMAILBOX_NUMBER 502, RSP_DATE_TIME 503, RSP_TYPE 504, andRSP_FILENAME 505 to indicate the mailbox number of the ad responded to,the mailbox number of the respondent, the date and time of the response,the file format of the video clip, and the location of the video file onthe IWS. Specifically, the field RSP_TYPE 504 is set to AVI to indicatethat the audio recording is in the Microsoft .AVI file format. Finally,the field RSP_CONVERSION_FLAG 506 is set to FALSE to indicate that theVDOLive file must be converted to the VDOLive format for real timeplayback on the Internet.

The IWS determines that the video file must be converted to VDOLiveformat 1506. The IWS creates a new VDOLive file from the Microsoft AVIfile and stores the new file to a disk file 1507 on the IWS and updatesthe Ad Database 1508. A new record in the AD_RESPONSE_TABLE of FIG. 5 iscreated and the IWS populates the RSP_MAILBOX_NUMBER501,RSP_RMAILBOX_NUMBER 502, RSP_DATE_TIME 503, RSP_TYPE 504, andRSP_FILENAME 505 fields to indicate the mailbox number of the adresponded to, the date and time of the response, the format of the videofile, and the location of the video file on the IWS. Finally, the fieldRSP_CONVERSION_FLAG 506 is set to TRUE for both record formats (AVI andVDOLive) in the Ad Database to indicate that the video file(s) does notneed to be converted 1509.

Response Matching Via the Internet

As previously indicated, if the user selects the matching option 2415 inFIG. 14, the IWS queries the Ad Database to find other ads that aresimilar to the ad selected by the caller. Specifically, an ad is deemedto be similar if the age in the ad's profile is within five years of theprofile of the ad selected by the caller and if the ads have the samegender and marital status. Its is to be understood that the criteriaused to determine a similar ad could vary greatly in kind and quantity.

Notifying an Advertiser of a Response

FIG. 17 illustrates the notification routine that processes the recordsplaced in the notification queue in step 2322 of FIG. 13 and step 2425of FIG. 14. In step 3001, the DBS scans the notification queue todetermine if any notifications are scheduled to be made at the presenttime. As previously described, each notification record includes thetelephone number and e-mail address, if available, of the advertiser tobe notified. In step 3003, the DBS scans the notification record for ane-mail address. If an e-mail address is present, the DBS sends therecord to the IWS 3004 In step 3005, the IWS sends an e-mail message tothe advertiser informing him that a response has been made to his ad.The e-mail message includes a link that can be followed to the actualresponse for those retrieving their e-mail via a browser. Step 3006sends the record to the IVR. In step 3007, the IVR dials an advertiser'stelephone number contained in the callback record and waits for aresponse. If a voice response is not received, then the IVR sends acorresponding message to the DBS. The DBS then marks the time of theattempted callback in the notification queue record, so that a setperiod of time can be established between callback attempts. Note couldalso be made if an e-mail message had been sent to avoid sendingduplicate notifications. If a voice response is received 3008, then instep 3009, then the IVR sends a voice message informing the advertiserthat a response has been made to his ad. The voice message also gives atelephone number and Internet address that can be used to retrieve theresponse. It may be desirable in certain applications to prompt theperson who answers the telephone for a password and mailbox number toverify their identity. Also, it may be desirable to actually allow theperson to listen to the response during the call.

Retrieving Messages Through a Telephone

An exemplary operation of the system, with regard to an advertiserretrieving response messages to his personal ad will now be treated toaccomplish the process as indicated in FIG. 18. First, suppose anadvertiser at terminal T1 places a call to retrieve messages left inresponse to his ad. The assumed call involves the advertiser actuatingthe buttons to input the number 1 900 777 4444, for example. As aresult, signals are provided to the public telephone network resultingin a connection from the remote terminal T1 to the IVR. Using standardDNIS techniques, the IVR associates the called number 1 900 777 4444with a specific format, for example, a message retrieval format.

Referring to FIG. 18, upon receiving a call, the IVR sets the “logonattempts” equal to zero 2501. The IVR then increments the “logonattempts” by one 2502 and cues the caller for a mailbox number 2508 andpassword 2503. The IVR then queries the Ad Database to determine if themailbox number and password are valid 2504. If the entries are notvalid, the IVR determines if the caller has exceeded the maximum numberof logon attempts allowed 2505. If the caller has exceeded the maximumnumber of logon attempts allowed, the call is terminated 2506. If themaximum number of logon attempts allowed has not been exceeded, the IVRincrements the “logon attempts” by one 2502 and again cues the callerfor a mailbox number and password.

If the entries are valid, the IVR then queries the AD_RESPONSE_TABLE ofFIG. 5 to determine if the advertiser has any response messages 2507. Ifthe advertiser has no response messages, the call is terminated 2506. Ifthe IVR finds a response message, the IVR queries the field AD_ORIGIN211 to determine if the response message originated on the Internet2509. If the response message originated on the telephone, the IVR playsthe audio response message 2513. If the response message originated onthe Internet, the IVR uses text to speech to play the text responsemessage as placed on the Internet 2510. The IVR then queries theAD_GREETINGS_TABLE of FIG. 3 to determine if the Internet respondentalso submitted an audio response message 2511. If the query does notfind an audio greeting 2512, the IVR prompts the caller to indicate ifhe wishes to respond to the message 2514. If the query finds an audiogreetings 2512, the IVR plays the audio greetings 2513. The IVR thenprompts the caller to indicate if he wishes to respond to the message2514.

If the caller elects not to respond to the message, the IVR queries theAD_RESPONSE_TABLE of FIG. 5 to determine if the advertiser has anyadditional response messages 2519. If an additional response message isfound, the caller is returned to block 2509 for processing. If anadditional response message is not found, the call is terminated 2520.If the caller elects to respond to the message, the IVR cues the callerto record his response 2515. The IVR then stores the response to a diskfile 2516 and updates the Ad Database 2517. Specifically, the IVRcreates a new record in the AD_RESPONSE_TABLE of FIG. 5 populates thefields RSP_MAILBOX_NUMBER 501, RSP_RMAILBOX_NUMBER 502, RSP_DATE_TIME503, RSP_TYPE 504, and RSP_FILENAME 505 to indicate the mailbox-numberof the system user to whom the response is directed, the mailbox numberof the respondent, the date and time of the response, the format of theresponse, and the location of the response file on the IVR. The fieldRSP_TYPE 504 is set to VOX to indicate that the audio recording is inthe Dialogic .VOX file format. Finally, the field RSP_CONVERSION_FLAG506 is set to FALSE to indicate that the audio must be converted fromthe Dialogic .VOX format to create a new audio file in the RealAudio .RAformat for playback on the Internet.

The IVR also creates a new RealAudio .RA file from Dialogic .VOX fileand stores the RealAudio file to a disk file on the IWS. Specifically,the IVR creates a new record in the AD_RESPONSE_TABLE of FIG. 5 andpopulates the fields RSP_MAILBOX_NUMBER 501, RSP_RMAILBOX_NUMBER 502,RSP_DATE_TIME 503, RSP_TYPE 504, and RSP_FILENAME 505 to indicate themailbox number of the ad responded to, the mailbox number of therespondent, the date and time of the response, the format of theresponse, and the location of the response file on the IVR. The fieldRSP_TYPE 504 is set to RA to indicate that the audio recording is in theRealAudio .RA file format. Finally, the field RSP_CONVERSION_FLAG 506 isset to TRUE for both the audiotext .VOX file and the RealAudio .RA fileto indicate that the audio files do not need to be converted.

Next, the IVR queries the AD_RESPONSE_TABLE of FIG. 5 to determine ifthe advertiser has any additional response messages 2519. If anadditional response message is found, the caller is returned to block2509 for processing. If no additional response messages are found, thecall is terminated 2520.

Retrieving Messages Through the Internet

An exemplary operation of the system of the present invention, withregard to an advertiser retrieving her messages via the Internet willnow be treated to accomplish the process as indicated in FIG. 19. First,suppose an advertiser at terminal CT1 connects to the Internet toretrieve messages. The assumed Internet user connects to the Internetand inputs a Uniform Reference Locator URL, for example:http://www.personal_ads.com, resulting in a connection from the remoteterminal CT1 to a Home Page 1701 on the Internet Web Server.

Referring to FIG. 19, from the Home Page 1701 on the Internet WebServer, the advertiser selects a Message Retrieval Form 1702. TheMessage Retrieval Form 1702 instructs the advertiser to enter a mailboxnumber 1703 and password 1704. The IWS then queries the Ad Database todetermine if the mailbox number and password are valid 1705. If theentries are not valid, the Internet user is presented with an InvalidMailbox and Password Form 1706. If the entries are valid 1705, the IWSqueries the Ad Database 1707 to find responses to the advertiser's ad.

If there are no responses, the IWS presents the advertiser with a NoResponses Form 1709. If the IWS finds one or more responses, the IWSpresents the advertiser with a Personal Ad Messages Form 1710. ThePersonal AD Messages Form 1709 shows any messages for the advertiser.Each message shows the date 1712 and time 1713 the message was receivedand contains one or more icons that represent the contents of themessage. A text icon 1714 denotes a text message; an audio icon 1715denotes an audio message; a still camera icon 1716 denotes a photograph;a video camera icon 1717 denotes a video clip. By clicking on an icon,the advertiser can view or listen to the associated file. The Internetuser responds to a message ad by selecting its associated “Respond”button 1718.

When the Internet user selects the respond button, she is transferred toan Ad Response Form 1719. The Internet user creates a response bycompleting a response text field 1720. After completing the Ad ResponseForm, the Internet user submits the form by pressing the “Submit” button1721. The advertiser is then presented with a Response Confirmation Form1722 which is illustrated in FIG. 16. The Response Confirmation Formgives the advertiser information on enhancing her response with an audiomessage, photograph, or video clip.

The IWS then stores the response to a disk file and updates the AdDatabase 1723. Specifically, the IWS creates a new record in theAD_RESPONSE_TABLE of FIG. 5 and populates the fields RSP_MAILBOX_NUMBER501, RSP_RMAILBOX_NUMBER 502, RSP_DATE_TIME 503, RSP_TYPE 504, andRSP_FILENAME 505 to indicate the mailbox number of the system user towhom the response is directed, the mailbox number of the respondent, thedate and time of the response, the format of the response, and thelocation of the response file on the IWS. The field RSP_TYPE 504 is setto TEXT. Finally, the field RSP_CONVERSION_FLAG 506 is set to TRUE toindicate that the text does not need to be converted to a differentformat

What is claimed is:
 1. A computer based advertising system, wherein saidsystem comprises: a remote terminal; means for interfacing said remoteterminal to the Internet, said means for interfacing providing means forplacing advertisements, means for placing audio recordings, and meansfor providing input data; storage means coupled to said means forinterfacing, said storage means being capable of storing saidadvertisements, said audio recordings, and said input data; publicationmeans coupled to said storage means for publishing said advertisements,said publication means including means for playing said audio recordingsvia the Internet; control means coupled to said publication means, saidcontrol means capable of processing said advertisements for saidpublishing and capable of processing said input data to isolate a subsetof said advertisements; and response means for responding to saidadvertisements by sending an anonymous audio message; wherein said audiorecordings are associated with said advertisements.
 2. A systemaccording to claims 1, wherein said response means includes a means tocreate a voice mail box.
 3. A system according to claim 1, wherein saidaudio message can be played via a telephone and via the Internet.
 4. Asystem according to claim 1, wherein said remote terminal apparatuscomprises a telephone.
 5. A system according to claim 1, wherein saidremote terminal apparatus comprises a computer.
 6. A system according toclaim 1, wherein said response means comprises a telephone.
 7. A systemaccording to claim 1, wherein said response means comprises a computer.8. A system according to claim 1, wherein a fee is charged to send saidanonymous audio message.
 9. A system according to claim 1, wherein saidsystem further comprises: means for placing video recordings; and meansfor playing said video recordings via the Internet; wherein said videorecordings are associated with said advertisements.
 10. A systemaccording to claim 1, wherein said system further comprises: means forresponding to said advertisements by sending a video message; and meansfor playing said video message via the Internet.
 11. A system accordingto claim 1, wherein said system further comprises: means for placingdigital photographs; and means for displaying said digital photographsvia the Internet; wherein said digital photographs are associated withsaid advertisements.
 12. A computer based advertising system, whereinsaid system comprises: a remote terminal; means for interfacing saidremote terminal to the Internet, said means for interfacing providingmeans for placing advertisements, means for placing audio recordings,and means for providing input data; storage means coupled to said meansfor interfacing, said storage means being capable of storing saidadvertisements, said audio recordings, and said input data; publicationmeans coupled to said storage means for publishing said advertisements,said publication means including means for playing said audio recordingsvia the Internet; control means coupled to said publication means, saidcontrol means capable of processing said advertisements for saidpublishing and capable of processing said input data to isolate a subsetof said advertisements; and response means for responding to saidadvertisements by sending an anonymous video message; wherein said audiorecordings are associated with said advertisements.
 13. A systemaccording to claim 12, wherein said response means includes a means tocreate a voice mail box.
 14. A system according to claim 12, whereinsaid audio message is capable of being played via a telephone or via theInternet.
 15. A system according to claim 12, wherein said remoteterminal comprises a telephone.
 16. A system according to claim 12,wherein said remote terminal comprises a computer.
 17. A systemaccording to claim 12, wherein said response means comprises atelephone.
 18. A system according to claim 12, wherein said responsemeans comprises a computer.
 19. A system according to claim 12, whereina fee is charged for sending said anonymous audio message.
 20. A systemaccording to claim 12, wherein said system further comprises: means forplacing video recordings; and means for playing said video recordingsvia the Internet; wherein said video recordings are associated with saidadvertisements.